Japanese Food & Cuisine History

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With so much attention being given today to maintaining a healthy diet,
sometimes it seems the tastiest dishes are those that are the least
healthy. What if we told you that the majority of Japanese cuisine
is both healthy and delicious? If you haven’t yet sampled this
culture’s wonderful cuisine, or if you’re a fan who
wishes to learn more, then read on.

A basic history lesson

Known as “the
land of the rising sun”, Japan is actually four main islands
(and thousands of smaller ones): Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and
Kyushu. These islands extend along the Pacific coast of Asia, below
Korea and China. Existent since 7th century BC, Japan was
founded by the ancestral Emperor Jinmu. His line of emperors has
continued throughout the ages to this very day.

Given Japan’s
close proximity to China and Korea, it has absorbed numerous cultural
influences from both regions. One of these, the religion known as
Buddhism, proved very influential upon Japanese culture, and as
you’ll soon read, upon Japan’s culinary development. One
of Korea’s most important contributions to Japan was that of
rice growing techniques, with the Yayoi tribe providing especially
helpful tools and techniques during the 3rd century BC.
China’s main contributions included soy sauce, tea, chopsticks,
and noodles.

During the medieval
period, Japan was ruled largely by shoguns (‘shogun’ is
Japanese for general). The Tokugawa shogunate in particular was very
suspicious of foreign influences, mainly Catholic missionaries and
China’s Manchu Qing Dynasty. During this period in Japan’s
history, roughly from 1600-1850, Japan became very culturally
isolated from outside influences, barring trade with all Europeans
but the Dutch. Shortly before this however, the Portuguese traded
with Japan. One very happy result of this was their introduction of
fried foods. We have them to thank for the emergence of fried
tempura, a delicious, lightly breaded batter which the
Japanese would use to dip vegetables and fish in.

Japan was not only
culturally and geographically isolated, it also faced the challenge
of having largely mountainous, and earthquake prone, terrain, with
little agricultural development there. In order to survive, the
Japanese relied on the most prevalent natural resource around them:
the sea.

Indeed, Japanese cuisine is a seafood lover’s dream!

Contemporary Japan is
of course open to trade and western influences, but those centuries
of relative isolation have enabled Japan to develop a highly
distinctive style of cuisine. There’s a refreshing subtlety of
flavor which comes from the absence of heavy spices, and a
‘lightness’ that results from an impressively low use of
dairy products, cholesterol, and fat.

Religion, rice, and fish

Based on written
records, historians know that Buddhism was introduced into Japanese
culture in the 6th century AD, when it became Japan’s
official religion. It prohibited the eating of meat, a prohibition
that lasted for 1200 years. It’s interesting to note that even
before that, as early as 675 AD, there existed various Empirical
decrees forbidding the eating of various animals, such as cattle,
horses, dogs, chickens, etc. Due to Japan’s geographical
limitations, these animals were undoubtedly more valuable either for
the work they performed or for the eggs they produced.

Fortunately for Japan,
rice grows abundantly there. For over 2000 years, the cycle of
sowing, seed-transplanting, weeding, and harvesting has continued
uninterrupted. Short-grain rice plays such a huge part in Japanese
life that it’s not just used as a food staple. Until roughly
100 years ago, it was also a currency for paying taxes and wages!
The amount of rice one owned indicated his/her economic status.
Ropes, sandals, saki wine, fuel, and building materials have
been fashioned from either rice or the straw of the rice plant. The
Japanese eat rice daily, with the terms gohan or meshi
being Japanese for “boiled rice”. They also are
colloquial synonyms for the word “meal”.

Because the Japanese
considered that the essence (or sacred power) of rice became purer
when pounded, mochi (pounded rice cakes) contained the “spirit
of rice”, and was considered the most celebrated form that rice
could take. Today we see that rice cakes are popular not only in
Japan, as a visit to the snack food aisle in our local supermarket
will attest.

Along with rice, fish,
both freshwater and marine, has been the foundation of Japanese
cuisine. Sushi, one of Japan’s most popular dishes,
originated as a way of preserving marine fish so that it could be
transported and sold to the Japanese who lived in inland areas. This
freed them from relying solely on freshwater fish. In the 15th
century, the sushi process was improved, making both the fish and the
rice edible. Soon after, during the Edo period of 1600’s,
sushi was combined with sashimi (raw fish chilled and
sliced thin, arranged without rice), forming nigiri-sushi,
which is what most of us refer to as simply sushi today.

Japan’s lack of
meat and dairy led to an aversion to oily tastes (with tempura
and dumplingsbeing popular exceptions), as well minimal use
of spices (traditionally used more for medicines and cosmetics).
These two characteristics help make Japanese cuisine a refreshingly
healthy choice when dining out. To be full without feeling heavy and
to be able to savor the subtle flavors of the fish and vegetables is
a delightful experience.

Today, Japan’s
fishing fleet is one of the largest in the world, accounting for
almost 15% of the world’s catch.

Japan does also grow
several types of vegetables, with soybeans and sweet potatoes being
among them. The sea provides other vegetables, such as sea weed and
algae.

Philosophy of food

For the Japanese,
freshness and simplicity are of paramount importance. “Eat it
raw first of all, then grill it, and boil it as the last resort”
is a proverb that sums up their approach to fish. Whereas the
western approach to cooking aspires to create new tastes not
naturally existent, the Japanese ideal aims to retain the natural
taste of the food with as little artificial process as possible.
Generally speaking, you will find less emphasis on sauces and more
emphasis on the natural flavor of the ingredients. The Japanese
favor simplicity in their cuisine.

Buddhism played yet
another role in the development of Japanese cuisine. Traditional
Japanese meals feature five colors (yellow, black, white, green, and
red) and flavors (sweet, spicy, salty, bitter, and sour). This is
because Buddhism emphasizes being attuned to the seasons. Seasonal
representation in Japanese cuisine is both visual and culinary.
During the hotter summer months, a dish like somen (thin white
noodles dipped in soup) might be served in transparent cool-blue
glass bowl with blue chop-sticks, ice cubes, and a green maple leaf
on top. Thus, the meal becomes refreshing both in taste and in
presentation.

Simply put, Japan’s
view of nature favors the elimination of the artificial. It makes
sense then that their cuisine strives to eliminate artificial
ingredients and to remain attuned with nature and the seasons.
Given such balance, it’s no surprise that, according to a 2002
United Nations survey, the average Japanese life span is one of the
longest in the world, and that Japanese cuisine is one of the
healthiest in the world.

Popular dishes

Fish and vegetables

So what sort of
delicious meals are you likely to have when you dine out at a
traditional Japanese restaurant? Here are some universal favorites,
starting with a popular Portuguese influenced dish:

Tempura

As you learnt earlier,
tempura is the delicious deep fried batter used to cover
seafood or vegetable items. Shrimp tempura is especially tasty, and
can be found in any Japanese restaurant. Tentsuyu, a dipping
sauce of dashi (a type of broth), soy sauce, and grated daikon
(radish), is served on the side. In keeping with the Japanese
adherence to simplicity and natural flavor, the tempura never
overpowers the vegetable or fish it covers, instead being applied
very lightly and with little or no salt added. You might also find
tempura served over soba (buckwheat noodles); this dish is
called either tempura soba or tennsoba. Finally,
donburi is tempura shrimp and vegetables served over a bowl of
steamed rice. In Japan, there are specialized tempura restaurants,
ranging from fast-food chains to five star establishments.

Sushi

One of the healthiest
meals around, sushi has become Japan’s culinary
ambassador to the United States, offering a delicious, wholesome
meal. The simplest definition of sushi is vinegared rice either
topped or mixed with extremely fresh raw fish (ocean fish, not
freshwater, which is cooked on the rare occasions it is used in
sushi) or vegetables. There are four main kinds of sushi:

Nigirizushi
presents the ingredients atop a block of rice

Makizushi
is rice and seafood/vegetables rolled inside nori (seaweed)
and then cut and served in smaller pieces

Temaki is a
cone shaped version of makizushi

Chirashi
presents seafood or vegetables atop rice and served in a bowl or
dish

There are many
delightful possibilities for different ingredients when serving
sushi. Salmon, tuna, crab, shrimp, squid, eel, octopus, and fish roe
are popular seafood options, with cucumbers, avocado, seaweed, sesame
seeds, and tofu used as well. Sushi is usually served with the
following condiments: sho-yu (soy sauce), wasabi (spicy
green horseradish paste), gari (sweet pickled ginger), shiso
(a green herb, part of the mint family), and mirin (a rice
wine with a slightly sweet taste).

True to form, sushi is
often a highly refined aesthetic experience, with bold colors and
tastes often chosen for their complementary and contrasting
qualities. Another Japanese culinary practice is that of serving
food in small quantities. Sushi is the perfect and delicious
embodiment of this tradition.

Sashimi

Not to be confused with
sushi, sashimi is thinly sliced raw fish or meat served
with simple vegetable garnishes and dipping sauce. Yellowtail, tuna,
cuttlefish, and cooked octopus are popular types of sashimi.
As with many Japanese meals, simplicity is the key here. Sashimi
is usually served only with a garnish like daikon and a
dipping sauce like sho-yu, wasabi, or ponzu (a
mix of rice vinegar, mirin, bonito [a fish in the
mackerel family], and seaweed). A formal Japanese meal will usually
begin with sashimi. Because it is so mildly flavored, the
Japanese feel that such subtlety would be lost on the palate if it
were to follow more strongly flavored courses. Sashimi is
often served with sushi.

Soups and stews

Donburi

Donburi is a
hearty and filling rice bowl dish, usually filled with fish, meat,
and vegetables that have been simmered before being served over rice
and set with egg. The simmering sauce often consists of mostly
dashi, flavored with shoyu and mirin. Donburi
is often served seven possible ways:

Oyakodon
features chicken and egg, and sometimes salmon and salmon eggs

Katsudon is
served with tonkatsu (deep fried breaded pork cutlet), egg,
and onions

Gyudon
features beef

Tendon is
served with tempura battered seafood and vegetables dipped in soy
sauce

Unadon
features grilled eel prepared in a soy-based sauce

Chukadon
features vegetables, seafood, and meat in a thick Chinese style
sauce

Tekkadon is
served with maguro (raw tuna) and seaweed

Miso

Miso is a thick
salty paste made from fermented soy beans and sea salt. Miso soup
is a combination of miso, dashi, and solid ingredients,
usually seaweed, mushrooms, scallions, and tofu. It’s a light
but nourishing soup that makes a perfect side dish with any Japanese
meal.

Nabemono

Known as “one pot
cooking”, nabemono refers to stews and soups cooked in a
nabe pot, which is a traditional Japanese clay pot. Nabemonodishes are ideal wintertime fare. There are several
different kinds of nabemono, often different according to
different geographical areas of Japan. Here are a few:

These are delightfully
hearty dishes; some of them were originally only served to Sumo
wrestlers to help them maintain their weight! Nabemono is
usually served with either a ponzu or sesame sauce.

Meat dishes

Yakitori

This is the Japanese
answer to chicken kebab, although vegetables, beef, pork, fish, and
other meats are also used. The meat is usually threaded through
bamboo skewers and grilled over charcoal. Delicate flavors are
added, usually from brushed on salt or tare sauce (made from
mirin, sake, soy sauce, and sugar), which is also
offered as a dip. This is one of Japan’s most popular dishes.

Teriyaki

Authentic Japanese
teriyaki is one of the tastiest ways to enjoy a good steak or
piece of fish. The technique involves sliced meat being grilled or
broiled in a sweet soy sauce marinade. Mirin, sugar, soy
sauce, and sake (a popular Japanese alcoholic rice beverage)
comprise the marinade, and are boiled and reduced to the perfect
thickness. The meat is then marinated until ready for cooking.
Ginger and green onion are popular garnishes.

Gyoza

Also known as jiaozi
in China, this is a popular fried or boiled dumpling, usually
with minced pork, cabbage, and nira (garlic chives). Each
dumpling is seasoned with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.
They are delicious when eaten while they are steaming hot!

We hope this overview
on Japanese cuisine has been informative and appetizing. Of course,
to really experience the delight of Japanese cuisine, you’ll
want to find a high-quality restaurant in your area. Please use our
site’s helpful geographical index to find a restaurant near
you.